Heretofore proposed have been information retrieval and display systems which include an integrated module having: (a) a player for a laser readable, encoded data storage device such as a video compact disc, an audio compact disc, a laser disc, or one of the soon to be available digital video discs; (b) a player for retrieving data from the disc; and (c) a screen on which the retrieved information can be displayed.
Stored on the laser readable disc is data constituting a hierarchy of user-retrievable, multiple choice menus and, for each of the choices in the lowest level menu employed in navigating a particular course through the hierarchy, instructions or other information sought by the user. The selected information can be displayed statically on the screen of the system or presented as a video for visual and audible reception, often as a demonstration of a technique for performing a particular task or a step of that task.
An instruction set also stored in digital form on the encoded data storage device is so constructed that the user can easily reach the information relating to the performance of a particular step, repeat the presentation of that information, advance sequentially through the steps of the task, skip steps, return directly to an introductory video or the first step of the task, and otherwise navigate through the available choices in a fashion which best meets his or her needs.
The heretofore proposed systems can be readily converted from use in one environment to use in another environment. All this requires is a disc or other information storage device coded with information appropriate for the alternate purpose. Similarly, added information storage modules can be supplied to increase the amount of information available on a particular subject. The use of easily loaded and replaced information storage devices such as inexpensively supplied video compact discs also makes it very practical to combine easily accessed and almost immediately accessible information in different categories which may be useful to one in a particular setting.
A remote control is employed to access the highest (top) level menu in the hierarchial array. Once the highest level menu is reached, the user is instructed to navigate through the menu hierarchy by using numbered--1 through 9--buttons on the remote control to, beginning with the top level menu, select one of the menus available on each successively lower level and to make a choice of the items of information available from the lowest level menu in a particular set of menus. Choices of lower level menus and of items of information are numbered so that the user can make a choice by pressing the correspondingly numbered button.
An introductory video allows a new user to easily use the system to access selected information on the very first try without training or guidance from another person and without consulting written instructions. For many, the elimination of the need to refer to written instructions is of paramount importance as they consider any more than the most rudimentary written instructions distasteful, if not something to be avoided at all costs.